Dirk Nowitzki ended the two-year MVP reign of good friend Steve Nash on Tuesday, picking up the trophy for a great regular season dimmed by a postseason flop. Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to 67 wins this season, matching the sixth most in league history.

Dirk Nowitzki has been chosen as the NBA's MVP for leading the Dallas Mavericks to one of the best regular seasons in league history, a team official told The Associated Press on Friday. The formal announcement will come Tuesday at a news conference, said the team official, who requested anonymity because the announcement is pending.

Germany's president has refused a clemency request from a former left-wing terrorist serving life in prison for taking part in killings carried out by the notorious Red Army Faction three decades ago, his office said Monday.

Interpol issued a international call Thursday for the arrest of Colombian soccer great Freddy Rincon, wanted by Panama in connection with a money laundering investigation, authorities in Colombia said. Rincon repeatedly has claimed his innocence in the Panamanian authorities' inquiry stemming from the arrest of cocaine kingpin Pablo Rayo-Montano.

The man credited with bringing Jewish comedy back to Germany is betting the country is ready to laugh at Adolf Hitler. Audiences and critics already were giving Swiss director Dani Levy a rough ride as his film Mein Fhrer: The Truly Truest Truth about Adolf Hitler opened in theaters across Germany this week.

Warsaw's new archbishop abruptly resigned Sunday over revelations that he cooperated with Poland's communist-era secret police, stunning worshippers by sadly yielding the archbishop's throne just minutes before he was to be formally installed.

The United States lost to Germany 2-1 at the World Junior Hockey Championship on Tuesday, beaten by Marcel Muller's goal 1:51 into overtime.This was Germany's first victory over the Americans in the world juniors, although West Germany managed three wins, the last in 1981.